


After All, They Were Just Thirteen

by Eclpies



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Slow Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:53:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27633700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eclpies/pseuds/Eclpies
Summary: Shiro and Adam are seventeen now. And yes, Shiro is still very much in love with Adam.
Relationships: Adam/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17





	After All, They Were Just Thirteen

Thirteen. Adam and Shiro were just thirteen when they started dating. They thought they knew everything there was to know about love and relationships. 

Shiro and Adam grew up together. They were neighbors after all; technically speaking they lived a block away from each other and would often meet at the park near their houses. Shiro had a crush on his best friend for as long as he could remember. He always looked forward to meeting him in the park on Friday nights to talk about everything and nothing. So, when his childhood crush and best friend told him he liked him, Shiro was over the moon. 

Shiro’s home life wasn’t great. He knew Adam’s wasn’t the best either. But they had each other and that’s all that mattered to him. 

Shiro never told Adam about how fucked up his life was. He never told him about all the fights he would hear his parents have. He never told him about how every night his dad would come home late from work. He never told him about how his mom would say that that wasn’t normal and that their family was dysfunctional. But he had Adam and he thought that was all he needed. 

Every week on the way to Shiro’s piano lessons his mom would talk about all the shit his dad would do. His dad never did anything physical, just a shit ton of angst and emotions his mom had against him. Those rides always ended up with Shiro crying at least once. When he told his mom he didn’t like talking about it she said she thought they were “bonding”. 

Shiro would shut down completely. He wouldn’t answer anyone’s texts for hours at a time. He really wanted to text Adam but he didn’t know how and felt like he couldn’t, so he would just numbly lay on his bed and use his phone ignoring every text notification that came in. 

He couldn’t deal with all of this anymore. He knew Adam was hurting when he would leave his messages on delivered. He knew Adam was hurting whenever he ignored him in the halls cause he couldn't bring himself to talk to anyone. Shiro was tired. So he did the only thing he thought he could do, he broke up with Adam. He did still love him, he loved him a lot, but he was tired and he knew Adam was too. They were still best friends. Not even a break up could change that.

Shiro and Adam are seventeen now. And yes, Shiro is still very much in love with Adam. 

Things are better; they aren’t good, but still better. Shiro’s parents don’t fight as often, he was finally able to explain everything to Adam, and both him and Adam got accepted into the Garrison. Shiro’s grown a lot. He’s learned how to open up, be vulnerable, actually talk about what’s going on instead of just shutting down. He still struggles but he’s improved, and he's proud of himself for that.

It’s one in the morning on a Friday and Shiro can hear yelling from downstairs. He covers his ears with his pillow hoping it would somehow mask the screaming. Shiro knew exactly what was happening; his parents we’re fighting over something petty as they usually did. Why? They’ve gone months without fighting. Why couldn’t they have gone even longer? Things we’re finally getting better. So, why? Shiro just slept through it. He’s used to it at this point.

Later in the afternoon, his mom calls him down after he had just got home from school. Shiro knows exactly what’s going to happen: he would go down, his mom would talk to him about what happened, then proceed to rant and “explain” the things she’s already mentioned before. Everything would go in one ear then out the other; she always said the same things anyway so there was no need to listen all over again. Shiro’s mom told him the reason his parents we’re fighting was because his dad didn’t reply to what his mom had asked, which eventually turned into another screaming match. As expected, it was petty. 

A week passes by and his parents still aren’t talking, and almost every night within the week his mom would talk about what’s happening. His parents started sleeping in different rooms and even stopped merely looking at each other after a whole month. His mom would project all her anger onto him because who else was there to project it on? Months. It’s been months, and the situation would be mentioned at least once a day with his mom either making a joke about it at lunch or her giving him another talk that he’s heard way too often. 

Today was extra hard. Shiro got a scolding for the smallest thing then another talk for an hour right after. He desperately needs someone. He needs Adam. It isn’t Friday but he’s sure Adam would understand. He texts Adam asking to meet in the park and gets a reply after a second. 

When Shiro gets to the park, he can see Adam already sitting on a bench waiting for him. He walks up to the other boy and sits beside him. No words were exchanged for several minutes, just one really long but needed hug. 

Finally, Adam lets go of the hug and asks, “What happened? Do you wanna talk about it?”

“My parents are fighting again,” Shiro says, staring at nothing. His voice monotone. Then, silence. He continues, “It’s been like how many months. They aren’t talking. They aren’t even looking at each other.”

He feels Adam grab his hand, taking it as a sign that he can continue. “Is it my fault?” Shiro questions, his voice cracking slightly. “Maybe if I was just a better kid, maybe none of this would be happening.”

Adam’s hand cups Shiro’s face forcing him to look at Adam. “None of this is your fault,” Adam reassures him. “All this shit going on with your parents has nothing to do with you. You told me that this has been going on since your parents started dating, so you have nothing to do with all of their fighting.”

“I’m just… I’m so fucking tired.” Shiro’s voice is quiet, almost a whisper. 

Adam presses their foreheads together, still cupping Shiro’s face in his hands and says, “Who wouldn't be?”

Shiro has never felt so grateful that Adam is in his life. Shiro makes eye contact with Adam and starts sobbing. He doesn’t know what he did in his past life for him to deserve having Adam here in his current one but he’s so fucking grateful. Tears roll down his face in relief. He realizes that he doesn’t necessarily have to go through anything alone; he has Adam. He’ll always have Adam. 

Adam rests Shiro’s head on his shoulders, shushing him and gently running his hands through the other boy’s hair. “Just a few more months then we’re out of here. We’ll be roommates in the Garrison and we won’t have to think about or deal with any of the bullshit here,” Adam says gently into Shiro’s ear. 

They hug again for God knows how long. It’s always in these moments of comfort that Shiro remembers why and just how much he loves Adam.

It’s been 2 weeks since what happened at the park, and now, it’s Friday night and Adam and Shiro are laying on the grass next to each other looking up at the stars. They point out the different constellations they can see; they’ve spent a lot of time learning different stars and constellations when they were younger. 

Shiro turns his head to look at Adam. The moonlight shines on Adam’s face and Shiro wonders just how someone could be so kind, and sweet, and considerate, and attractive, and so... ethereal.He was staring. Adam didn't seem to notice and if he did, he didn't mind 

Shiro doesn’t know what exactly it is but there’s something about the moon and night sky that makes him so emotional, vulnerable, bold. Shiro calls out, “Hey, Adam.”

Adam doesn’t look away from the sky. “Yeah?”

Shiro faces the moon again. “I still like you.” He doesn’t hear Adam say anything, so he continues, “I never stopped liking you, to be honest.” 

He turns his head to see Adam looking at him. Adam’s eyebrows were slightly raised in shock and disbelief. “Are you fucking with me?” Adam asks quietly.

Shiro shakes his head and Adam looks back up at the night sky. “Well, to be honest, I still like you too.”

“Are you fucking with me?” 

Adam shakes his head. “I don’t want to get back together though. I mean I want to but I can’t. Right now, at least”

Shiro looks back up. “Me neither. I don’t think we can, right now.”

Silence blankets the two of them, but it isn’t awkward. It's comforting. Minutes pass by without either of them speaking a word. They just stare at the moon and stars in silence, enjoying each other’s presence. 

Adam is the first to break the silence. “Why’re we like this?”

“Like what?”

“Like this. Our timing is always horrible. First, we started dating when we’re thirteen thinking we were ready; when really we were just two thirteen-year-olds who had no idea about anything like relationships and life. And now that we find out that there are still feelings there, neither of us is ready to be with anyone.”

“Maybe the Universe just likes fucking with us.”

“Maybe.” 

Shiro arrives back home from Adam’s house. He sees his parents sitting at the dinner table. Together. He walks in slowly wondering what’s happening, but if they were in the same room sitting next to each other so it should be good news, right?

His parents call him over and he sits down. There are papers on the table and Shiro realizes what’s about to happen. “Your father and I are getting a divorce.” He hears his mom say. They start to explain more but it’s more like white noise to Shiro. This was really happening. He didn’t want this to happen but it felt inevitable. This shit has been going on for so many years, that it’s as if he almost knew his parent’s love story– if you could even call it that– wouldn’t have a happy ending.

Thank god he’s leaving for The Garrison in two weeks. He doesn’t want to deal with any of this so he just focuses on packing up his stuff, and in almost less than 3 hours a good chunk of his life was packed into just a few small boxes. Shiro can’t wait to leave this godforsaken place.

Shiro calls up Adam saying he needs a hug and knowing Adam, he’s probably already waiting. Just as Shiro suspected, he was. Adam is standing in the middle of the park with his arms wide open waiting for Shiro. Shiro chuckles to himself at the sight then slowly runs up into the hug. They stand still hugging for a few seconds, and it’s one of the most relaxing few seconds of Shiro’s life.

Shiro pulls away and drops his head. “My parents are getting a divorce,” he blurts out. He’s unsure of why he never has a filter whenever they’re in the park but Adam doesn’t seem to mind so he doesn’t think too much of it.

“Holy shit. Are you okay?” Adam holds Shiro’s arms securely as if Shiro would fall as soon as he let go. Adam bends down and turns his head slightly to try and look at Shiro’s face to make sure if he was actually all right. Adam knew Shiro would sometimes say that he was fine when his face said the opposite. 

Shiro looks up at Adam knowing what the other boy was doing. “Yeah, actually. I don’t know, it almost seems like it was inevitable you know. Like, they were bound to get one one day, it just depended when.”

Adam pulls Shiro into another hug and lowers Shiro’s head to kiss his forehead. Forehead kisses are a usual thing for them. They've been doing it ever since they were kids. They used to give each other forehead kisses every time the other would cry, fall, or get hurt and it just became a habit of theirs. The number of forehead kisses they gave and received decreased as they grew but it still happened on some nights; tonight was one of those nights. 

Adam knows Shiro well enough that he knows Shiro doesn’t really like talking about things like this for too long so he changes the topic, “Are you almost done packing? We leave in two weeks.”

“Yeah, I finished packing right before I called you.”

“I can’t wait to get the fuck out of here,” Adam says with his lips slightly curled. “I’ll miss this park though.”

Shiro nods in agreement and looks at the park in detail. “Me too.” They have so many memories together in this park; catching whatever bug they could find and keeping it as a pet for weeks till it died, burying the bug and crying at it’s funeral, playing tag and falling at almost every step they took, tying a ribbon around a tree branch to make sure they would be friends forever, meeting up every Friday night to do and talk about everything and nothing, their first kiss under the tree at 13, telling each other that they got accepted into The Garrison and crying in each other’s arms out of pure joy, comforting one another whenever they needed to be comforted, and now talking about how they’re leaving this all behind to go off to college and move on with life. 

Shiro finishes moving the boxes into their dorm room. It's spacey for a dorm room but still pretty squished. Adam takes a step back to stand next to Shiro and they both take a good look at the room. “This is where we’ll be staying for the next four years I guess,” Shiro says with his hands on his hips.

Adam elbows him and walks over to one of the boxes and starts pulling decorations out. “Yup, so help me decorate. Might as well make it look nice, right?” He smiles over his shoulder at Shiro. 

Shiro and Adam are on their respective beds. Light music plays from the speakers and the only light lighting up the room is the galaxy projector they bought for shits and giggles. Shiro puts his phone down on his bed, stands up, and reaches an arm out to his roommate. “May I have this dance?”

Adam giggles but stands up anyways. He takes Shiro’s hand in his. “Of course.” Adam shakes his shoulders like a 45-year-old mom that tries to be cool with kids. All Shiro could do was laugh.

Shiro and Adam stand in the middle of their dorm room between the beds. They by no means know how to dance, so they just stand close together, Adam in Shiro's arms, and sway to the music. Shiro spins Adam a couple of times just to be fancy, and every time he does, Adam chuckles and Shiro’s stomach flutters at the angelic sound that is Adam’s laugh. 

He spins Adam on more time but pauses when Adam becomes still. There’s a light in Adam’s eyes that Shiro has seen before; on the night of their first kiss. Shiro reaches an arm out to Adam’s jaw and cups it. He slowly brings Adam’s face closer to his and tilts Adam’s face up by his chin. Shiro leans forward and presses a soft kiss on Adam’s lips. He’s been wanting to do that forever. One kiss turns into two, two into three, and so on. The two boys softly kiss as if they’ve been starved of each other’s touch for years. Adam’s lips are soft and warm, just like he is, and Shiro can’t get enough of it. 

Adam breaks from the kiss first and leans his head on Shiro’s shoulder. “I wanna try again. Us, I mean. I’m doing better, and I’m assuming you are too - well I’m hoping you are. I think it’s the right time and exactly what is stopping us?”

Shiro lifts Adam’s head off of his shoulder and presses another kiss onto his lips and smiles into it. He pulls away, looks at Adam with all the love he can, and says, “Yeah, I wanna try again too.”

**Author's Note:**

> hi !! thank you to whoever read this and I hope you enjoyed! this is the first full length fic that I've ever actually posted so pls be nice but yes, have a good day or night and thank you again !


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